I actually took yall advice to heart - please have a listen

M

MysticNetherlan

New member
Recently I've been making a few EDM tracks, and apparently I've been using the maximizer tool a bit too much. You fine folks pointed that out in my previous post. And your comments opened my ears :D Yes, it was squashed, bereft of any dynamics and quite frankly, not very nice to listen to. So! I backed up the use of maximizing tools. Of course, there's still relatively quite a bit of compression going on, since it's dance music and it's sort of native to the genre, but I sincerely hope this mix pleases your ears much better!

I'd appreciate it if you could take a listen and let me know whether I need to go back to the drawing err... mixer board or not?

 
I can barely hear clipping, although it's down on the low end. Other than that, it sounds like a pretty nice take on a competitively loud master. With that in mind, that low end clipping could be adjusted for just a little bit less and it would be that much cleaner.
 
I don't know if you want comments on levels and compression only, or reactions to the whole mix. I'm not hearing the same degree of squash and digital nastiness as on the previous one, so that's good. But overall the mix just seems to lack focus. On the intro that low synth is way out of control. When you shift into your main groove, it's the opposite problem. The pulse and vocals are taking a back seat to those busy synth thingies that are right there front and center. It seems like those things should be more in the background, adding interest and richness to your soundscape, without detracting from the groove+vocal which is the song.
 
I like what's going on in terms of the overall idea here.

However I agree with the above comment. There seems to be a lot of elements of the song fighting for space in the mix. Definitely need to EQ more and control volumes of various channel strips, automating manual changes when you need to ensure you can keep things in balance.

The vocals and synths definitely are battling far too much. My ear struggles to understand what to focus on because the vocals are just loud enough that I'm trying to listen to it but the synth is blocking it and then at the same time I'm trying to follow the synth melody but can hear the vocal detracting from my ability to do so!

All of that constructive criticism is not to be a deterrent to making music though. As I said at the start. I like the concept, but focus on what sounds you really want to have pop at one moment and really hone in on bring those sounds out so we as the listener's can take what you want from the song!
 
Hi all, thanks for your comments!

@wtfuhz: yeah, unfortunately I noticed the clipping only later :( I'll leave that be for now.


@Robus: could you perhaps indicate those parts? By for instance a starting and ending time? I'm not sure which synth parts you mean.

@D-toks: I'll admit that I didn't spend that much time on EQ. Maybe because everything wasn't as squashed as usual and my spoiled ears already interpreted this mix as 'clear' haha. I'll give it a listen and perhaps a try later on, many thanks!
 
Yeah, it seems to be mostly the low-end that's out of control here.

I would scale the bass synth way back during the "verses" (the parts before the big dubsteppy break downs). It buries the drums so that they don't have any punch and makes it so there's no real dynamic contrast when the break down comes in.
 
MysticNetherlan said:
Hi all, thanks for your comments!

@wtfuhz: yeah, unfortunately I noticed the clipping only later :( I'll leave that be for now.
Click to expand...

if the clipping we're talking about is most noticeable on the drums (snare in particular) i kind of like it. i think that's the thing now, to be honest. it adds a nice distorted element to the track...gives it an edge and color you can't otherwise achieve. i know many will disagree, but all i'm saying is that i hear that a lot in this style of music, even on the radio.

i also hear it in the low end of the synth..yes?
 
I wasn't just talking about the snare. I was referring to the way the mix's bass balance particularly in the drums was causing the whole thing to clip. If you're after that stylistic clip, it can be achieved through any of the many vst's for that. The clipping in this master, however, I feel is causing the whole thing to clip rather than using a vst and selectively creating an overdriven effect
 
I was reacting to the lead synths through a large part of the song. All that frantic stuff going on in the foreground. Listening to it again, you've got some exciting things going on in this song. Very interesting composition. It wears me out with all the activity. More dynamics would work for me, just by way of giving your listen a rest. But you seem to want loud and flattened.

Great female vox by the way!
 
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